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Gay bar bans glass after ‘cheating customers attacked by angry partners’

Gay bar bans glass after ‘cheating customers attacked by angry partners’
UPDATE: Eagle Bar Manchester has posted the following message to their Facebook page:

In response to the article published by Manchester Evening News Online this morning, the owners of Eagle Bar Manchester, Nick Curtis and Andrew Underwood have issued the following statement….

We were surprised to read an article on the MEN website this morning relating to two isolated incidents that occurred in the venue over the past few months.

We were made aware of the fact that the MEN journalist Ms Rucki had shown an interest in our business, and attempted to make contact with her on no less than 8 occasions last Friday (18th March 2016), even leaving a message for her. We had no contact with her, no missed calls and no messages from her whatsoever until we received an email at 12.44pm on Saturday (22nd March). This email was picked up this morning, after we saw the published article. – Obviously if this had been received within office hours, and had a sensible time-frame had been given in order to get a response then we could have helped Ms Rucki with her inquiries and assisted her in producing an accurate and well-rounded report.

Unfortunately, what we are left with is a wholly misleading article tacked together with sloppy journalism.

To address the points made in Ms Rucki’s report….
• To suggest that there were “several reports of glassing” is misleading. There were 2 isolated incidents.
• Neither incident involved “jealous partners.”

• We do not have a dark room, “semi-dark room” or “FETISH ROOM” in Eagle or The Black Eagle. The venue is Eagle Bar, we are one venue with two bars.
• Repetition of the claim, “glassings took place when some customers were caught cheating on their partners in the specialist fetish area.” Once again – no incident involved any jealous partners or couples.
• Yet further repetition, “The cheating partners were allegedly attacked by their boyfriends with pint glasses”
– This is simply untrue. Had Ms Rucki attempted to speak to any of the individuals concerned (these individuals have made social media comments on our own page, hence making themselves easy to identify), then the accuracy of this claim would be dismissed.
• “Greater Manchester Police called for a review of the premises licence following the incidents and indecent behaviour at the venue.”
– At the committee meeting chaired by the council when considering the GMP review, it should be noted that the council in fact told GMP that their claims of “indecent behaviur” within Eagle Bar were offensive. Further going on to say that the attitude of the police and other departments within GMP wouldn’t support this position, which were reminiscent to that of GMP Police Constable James Anderton (1976-1991) and to take this stance would be “like going back 30 years.”
• Reporting from the MEN that “a glass-collector must be employed”.
– We already have a glass collector in permanent employment.
• “The Eagle Bar has not responded to requests for a comment from the MEN.”
– We received no messages, calls or contact from the MEN within office hours.

In summary, we feel the reporting from the MEN here is beyond poor. No sensible attempts have been made to speak with us or with any of the people involved in the incidents.

In our opinion, there is an unpleasant air of homophobia within this report. The MEN appear to make loose suggestions that our customers are incapable of monogamous relationships or that a likeness for wearing leather or rubber somehow means that one of them may attack you.

We are offended by this report, and we would expect that many of our customers will be too.

We will be following this up on behalf of the victims and our customers with the relevant authorities.

 

You’ll find the original story on the next page.

ORIGINAL STORY: Following reports that people have been savagely sliced inside the ‘fetish room,’ The Eagle Bar in Manchester has been ordered by police to immediately stop using glass receptacles after 11:30 pm.

Security staff has been ordered to keep close surveillance of the semi-dark room, which you can can find by furtively slipping to the back of the club.

Allegedly, cheating men have been summarily sliced after getting caught by jilted partners, who we imagine were simply sightseeing and soaking up ambiance.

Following the violent incidents — and as-yet unsubstantiated rumors that indecent behavior was going on in the fetish room — greater Manchester Police were fast to arrive on the scene with straight faces.

Later, a sedate licensing panel hearing was scheduled at the town hall. Manchester City Council was swift in disciplining the S&M club, mercilessly imposing strict rules that the bar must adhere to if it doesn’t want to be punished for being bad.

The measures are:

1. All glassware must be removed from the bar area after 11.30pm.

2. A “glass-collector” must be employed to ensure no glass is within reach of customers.

3. Any glass waste must be stored inside a locked area, with absolutely no access to customers

4. Alarmist notices about the new glass policy must be prominently displayed

According to a crisply worded licensing committee document:

At 11.30pm hours the use of glass receptacles will cease and all glasses will be cleared away by no later than Midnight.

“Polycarbonate receptacles will be used for all drinks from 11.30pm hours.

“This will include the use of bottles, and all bottled drinks will be decanted into polycarbonate vessels.

“One SIA registered door staff member shall be on duty at the entrance to the ‘Black Eagle’ area of the premises from Midnight until the close of the premises.”

According to a calm, collected spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police, “There have been two separate incidents where people were glassed in Eagle Bar, so GMP took steps to make it safer by reviewing the license conditions, which was successful so Eagle Bar is now restricted to serving drinks in plastic glasses.

“Eagle Bar are not being investigated for any crimes.”

 

h/t: The Mirror

 

 

 

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